The Trials Standard Spotlight: Linda Somers Smith – The Olympic Marathon Trials in Houston, Texas in January 2012 will highlight America\’s top distance running talent. One in a series of Trials spotlights on the athletes who will participate follows.

To say that Linda Somers Smith is a running marvel would be an understatement. Not only is she the second oldest U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon qualifier ever (nearly 49 at the time; only Sister Marion Irvine (1984) was older at 54-years-old) and still winning road races, but Somers Smith has maintained her national class standing while working full-time as an attorney, specializing in business and real property law, in San Luis Obispo, Calif.

Born at Bitburg AFB in Germany, Somers Smith, now 50, is the only person to-date to qualify by time standard for seven U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon. The University of California-Davis graduate has four Olympic Trials finishes, all sub-2:40: 1992 – 16th (2:39:50), 1996 – 2nd (2:30:06), 2004 – 10th (2:37:28) and 2008 – 17th (2:38:49).

As runner-up at the 1996 U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon in a personal record of 2:30:06, she earned a trip to the Summer Olympics in Atlanta where she placed 31st in the marathon (2:36:58). Somers Smith also was seventh at the 1995 World Championships Marathon in Göteborg, Sweden.

Since becoming a Masters runner (40 and older), the two-time USA Marathon champion (1993-94) has also set numerous U.S. age group records from 5K to the half-marathon, but says that she is not motivated by records and credits her success to training "smarter" and "feeling good".

She has two top marathon performances in Houston: the aforementioned 16th place at the 1992 U.S. Olympic Trials (2:39:50) and third at the 1998 USA Women's Marathon Championship in 2:38:52.

Somers Smith is realistic about her chances of making the 2012 U.S. Olympic Marathon team in Houston on January 14 as she told Runner's World last fall: "I have no illusions of making the team. In fact, I'd like to just show up to the race and be fit."

Learn more about Somers Smith on her Running USA Runner of Interest bio page: https://runningusa.org/node/55010

The 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials will be run on a revamped course in Houston, Texas on the weekend of the Houston Marathon. Houston is the first city to host the men's and women's Olympic Trials races at the same event.

For more information on the 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials, visit https://www.houston2012.com/